Pickup Review: 2013 Honda Ridgeline

Honda's staple a smart option for long hauls

Originally published: December 10, 2012

SMALL

MEDIUM

LARGE

The Ridgeline has been a staple of the Honda lineup since its inception back in 2006 and rightly so. Meant to bridge the gap between conventional SUV and truck markets, the Ridgeline also offered a fuel-efficient alternative to larger cross-bred utility creatures such as the Chevy Avalanche, Ford Explorer Sport Trac, and the awful Hummer H3T that launched later in 2009. With Honda’s then-proven reliability and solid economy numbers backing it up, the Ridgeline was seen as an easy choice for someone looking to gain some size and utility without jumping up to an F-150. Six years later, the Ridgeline has seen little more than the occasional styling tweak, so I figured I should get it out and see if it can still keep up with the competition.

For starters, the latest design tweak of the Ridgeline is a pretty good one. The black honeycomb-style grille and black detailed alloy wheels give the exterior of the Ridgeline that hint of modern toughness that had been lacking over the last few years. It’s surprising how much impact such a minor change can make. The funky twin-function tailgate that either folds down or swings open is still intact. On many occasions it proved to be invaluable when loading heavier items in and out of the massive hidden trunk. Yes, that’s right – the Ridgeline has both a short truck-bed, and a large, fully sealed trunk underneath it, so regardless of where you’re heading there’s tons of room to pack anything you might need.

Sadly, there’s a plain and utilitarian style to the Ridgeline’s passenger cabin that just doesn’t feel up to par. With truck manufacturers making vast improvements to their interiors over the past few years, we can only hope that Honda will up their style game soon. Still, for those looking for utility over esthetic, the Ridgeline’s cabin has that in spades. There seems to be a never-ending array of compartments and cubbyholes available to hide everything from your smart-phone to a 10-course picnic lunch. Although it has an appropriate hiding place for that phone, the Ridgeline is one of the few vehicles left out there that doesn’t come with Bluetooth as standard equipment. To get Bluetooth, you’ll have to shell out for the Touring model, adding a whopping $4,300 to the MSRP. Not too bad if you really want the navigation, reversing cameras, fancy heated seats and upgraded audio that come along with it, but if you just want to have hands-free calling, it’s a bit of a kick in the pants.

On the road, the Ridgeline is still clearly chasing truck fanatics. Unlike quite a few SUVs and crossovers turning up on the market, Honda makes no attempt to give the Ridgeline a car-like ride, and for that I say thank you. It’s big, tall, and lumbering as one would expect, without feeling like it’s going to barrel roll if you point yourself into a corner a bit quicker than expected. Manoeuvring around into tight parking spots and through narrow laneways had me rapidly longing for the optional rear view camera as rearward visibility is far from stellar. However, I don’t see many urbanites clamouring for this thing.

Though it’s not without its quirks, I’m the first to admit this uber ute has grown on me. The only problem is I’ve been having a harder and harder time placing its real target audience. I suppose if a young outdoorsy couple with an aversion to traditional pickup trucks who owned a couple of dirt bikes and liked going camping for a month at a time were shopping for a vehicle this thing would be absolutely spot on. All kidding aside, anyone contemplating jumping the gap from SUV to mid-size truck should definitely take a look.